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Postal strike fails to dent book sales

16.10.07 Philip Stone

Book sales were largely unaffected by last week's postal strike, with Nielsen BookScan recording another week-on-week sales increase.

Last week, online book retailers and suppliers put emergency contingency plans in place in the face of the postal strike. Websites of traditional high street retailers were also affected as well as customer orders. However, the disruption did not dent the market growth. Total revenue through the TCM for the seven days to 13th October was £38.5m, up 1% on the previous week.

The seven-day period also saw the average selling price of the 4.4m titles sold hit its highest point to date this year £8.79.

The top 50 is looking more like a Christmas chart week-by-week with some recognisable names proving popular once again with the book-buying public. The 2008 edition of Guinness World Records maintains its position at the top of the charts with sales of 37,060 last week. Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express (Chatto) and the tie-in edition of Ian McEwan's Atonement (Vintage), are also top five non-movers, but are joined by Martina Cole's latest thriller Faces (Headline) and the paperback edition of Jeremy Clarkson's Christmas 2006 bestseller, And Another Thing (Penguin).

There are also notable new entries for Thomas Harris' Hannibal Rising (Arrow), out in paperback last week, as well as Sharon Osbourne, whose new memoir joins the top 50 in 32nd place. Lower down, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's chronicle of their latest motorbike escapades, Long Way Down (Sphere) and music legend Eric Clapton's Autobiography (Century) make the top 50 with only part-week sales.

Retail Bestseller News Philip Stone

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